Serie A:Ademola Lookman Opens Season Account in Atalanta’s Draw With Milan
2 min read
By Sedara Philip
Ademola Lookman opened his Serie A account for the 2025/26 season as Atalanta battled to a 1-1 draw against AC Milan on Tuesday night.
The Super Eagles forward, who featured for the entire 90 minutes, struck in the 35th minute to cancel out Samuele Ricci’s early opener for Milan.
Atalanta came into the encounter as the only unbeaten side in Serie A, although they had managed just two wins and four consecutive draws before the tie. Coach Gian Piero Gasperini was still without key players Giorgio Scalvini and Mitchel Bakker, but opted to start Lookman and Charles De Ketelaere, supported by Mario Pašalić.
Milan, meanwhile, were still reeling from dropping points in a 2-2 draw against Pisa, losing their hold on the top spot. Ruben Loftus-Cheek returned to the bench, while Christian Pulisic, Adrien Rabiot, Pervis Estupiñán, and Ardon Jashari all missed out through injury.
The visitors got off to a dream start in the fourth minute when Samuele Ricci fired home from the edge of the box. His effort took a wicked deflection off Ederson, wrong-footing goalkeeper Marco Carnesecchi to hand Milan an early lead.
Atalanta responded with several chances of their own — Ederson forced a fine save from Mike Maignan, while Honest Ahanor twice went close to equalising, including missing a clear chance from close range.
Their persistence finally paid off in the 35th minute, when Lookman latched onto a clever through ball from Pašalić, controlled it expertly, and unleashed a powerful left-footed strike into the roof of the net from a tight angle — leaving Maignan with no chance.
Both teams pushed for a winner after the break, but neither side could find the decisive goal. The result leaves Atalanta seventh in the standings with 13 points, while Milan sit third on 18 points.
For Nigeria, Lookman’s return to form is a welcome boost ahead of next month’s 2026 FIFA World Cup African playoffs in Morocco, where he is expected to feature prominently for the Super Eagles after a recent dry spell in front of goal.
